Patent GB-884874-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to automatic vending machines
Inventor: ZEIGLE KENNETH CAREW
IPC: G07F5/24
Filed: 1960-04-20
Abstract: 884,874. Coin-freed vending apparatus. ELECTRIC VENDORS Inc. April 20, 1960, No. 13850/60. Class 27. A coin - controlled machine for selling stamps and other articles has a relay circuit for registering the credit available to the purchaser when he inserts a coin in the machine, means for dialling the number of articles required and dispensing them and means effective as each article is dispensed for adjusting the relay circuit to register the new credit available and setting change means to deliver the correct change at the end of a purchase. The machine is described as for the selective dispensing of one or more stamps of three different denominations, after inserting a 5, 10 or 25 cent coin and the dialling of the number of stamps required on dials 46, 47, 48, Fig. 9, corresponding to the respective denominations of stamps, followed by the delivery of the change. Each coin upon insertion passes to a sorter which discharges it into the appropriate 5, 10 or 25 cent shoot where a coin-detecting switch SW104, SW105, SW106, Fig. 8, in the control circuit initiates a machine cycle. Included in the control circuit are the creditregistering means which initially are set to register the credit available and later adjust the available credit afte rthe delivery of each stamp. These means comprise register credit relays K55..K59 and K63..K67, Fig. 7, which together with corresponding hold relays K44..K52, various relay-controlled contacts and switches SW218, SW219, SW220 (each of which is associated with one of the dials 46, 47, 48), are arranged for connection in selectively-energizable power lines B1..B37; each of the relays corresponds to the credit indicated beside it on the Figure. When a coin is inserted, certain of the register credit relays K55..K59 and K63..K67, depending upon which of the coin switches SW104, SW105, SW106 is actuated, are operated, and then, through switches controlled by these relays, the corresponding hold relays. When a stamp is dispensed the hold relays momentarily retain their positions corresponding to the existing credit, and the register credit relays, governed by whichever of the hold relays are so operated and the value of the stamp dispensed. are then energized to record the new credit, followed as before by the operation of the corresponding hold relays. The stamp dispensers are of roll type (Fig. 3 not shown) having ejection mechanism as described in Specification 774,715 [Group XIX] and solenoids SOL110, SOL111, SOL112, Fig. 8, for feeding a stamp from a roll after operation of the corresponding dial. The circuit for energizing the dials includes relays K29, K30, K31, Fig. 8, which control switches allowing only those dials to be effective for which sufficient credit is available; this circuit includes the switches SW218, SW219, SW220, Figs. 8 and 9, which can be set according to the value of the stamps controlled by the respective dials (e.g. the switch SW218 for the dial 46 can be set for stamps of 1, 2 or 3 cents). The selector circuit for causing the proper dispenser to operate with the corresponding dial includes relays K23..K28, Fig. 8, controlled by switches actuated by relays K36..K38, in the relevant dial circuit, the latter relays also being arranged, upon the operation of one dial, to prevent energization of the other dials. Each operation of a dial results in the actuation of a switch (e.g. D1, Fig. 9) incorporated in the dial to produce as many current impulses as the number of stamps dialled, and these impulses act through a slave relay K39, Fig. 9, to trigger impulse and timing circuits including relays K19, K20, K21, K32, K33, Fig. 9. The relay K33 energizes the power line B9, Fig. 7, through its contact 33-2 and results in the register credit relays being adjusted to subtract the value of the dispensed stamp by the conjoint action of the previously-energized hold relays and the appropriate setting of switches 23, 25, 27, Fig. 7, controlled by the relays K23, K25, K27, Fig. 8. A relay K35, Fig. 8, energized by the relay K33 also closes switches to operate whichever of the stamp-dispensing solenoids SOL110, SOL111, SOL112, Fig. 8, has been previously selected by the relays K24, K26, K28. One cent and five cent coins for change are arranged in two groups of vertical tubes (Figs. 2 and 6 not shown) from which the lowermost coins are delivered by slides actuated by solenoids SOL102..SOL105, Fig. 9, for the one cent tubes and SOL106..SOL109 for the five cent tubes. After a stamp delivery operation and when change is to be given, the general circuit of these solenoids is rendered effective through switches 34, Fig. 9, closed by energizing a relay K34 and, depending upon which of the register credit relays are then energized in accordance with the available credit, corresponding switches in the groups 53, 52, 55 &c. are closed to determine which of the solenoids should operate to deliver change; the relay K34 may be operated either automatically when there is insufficient credit left in the machine for the purchase of another stamp or at the will of the purchaser by the actuation of a press button to close a switch SW103, Fig. 9, after the receipt of one or more stamps. The two groups of solenoids are arranged in circuit with switches 14, 16, Fig. 9, controlled by relays K14, K16, which relate respectively to the two groups and are successively energized. In order to prevent coins in any one tube being exhausted before the others, different solenoids are operated in successive transactions by arranging the two groups in circuit with switches 10, 11, 12 controlled by relays K10, K11, K12 which are differently energized in the successive transactions. Operation. Assuming that the stamp dispensers sell 6, 3 and 2 cent stamps respectively and that the corresponding switches SW218, SW219, SW220, Figs. 7 and 8, have been set to their 6, 3 and 2 cent positions, the insertion of a 5 cent coin actuates the switch SW104, Fig. 8, in the corresponding sorting shoot so as to energize a relay KO2 whereby the circuit is set to prevent operation of the changecontrol relay K34, Fig. 9, until a stamp has been delivered; a solenoid SOL101, Fig. 8, positions fingers in the sorting shoots to divert any subsequently-introduced coin to the return shoot, and the 5 cent register and hold relays K58, K47, Fig. 7, are successively energized. Relays K30, K31, Fig. 8, also close the energizing circuit to the 2 and 3 cent dials 46, 47, Fig. 9, but the relay K29 is ineffective to energize the 6 cent dial 48 because of inadequate credit for this dial. 10 and 25 cent coins similarly 'energize the relays K57, K46 and KO7 respectively and the relays K29, K30, K31 render all the dials effective. If, having inserted a 10 cent coin with the resultant setting of the circuits as described above, the dial 47 is operated to purchase a 3 cent stamp, the initial clockwise rotation of the dial results in the relay K37 acting to prevent energization of the dials 46, 48, prepares the slave relay K39 for action and energizes the relays K25, K26 so as to prepare the 3 cent dispenser for operation; the relays K25, K26 also close the energizing circuits of the register credit relays K63..K67, Fig. 7, through the switch 219 and prepare the 2 and 5 cent register credit relays K65, K58 for operation. Upon release of the dial and its return, one current impulse is applied by means of the dial switch D2 to the relay K39 whereby the relay K33 energizes the 3 cent stamp solenoid SOL111, Fig. 8, and the power line B9, Fig. 7, is energized so as to de-energize the 10 cent register credit relay K57 and energize the 2 and 5 cent relays K65, K58 to set up the new credit of 7 cents; in addition, all the dials are now effective for further operation, the 2 and 5 cent hold relays are operated to establish the hold circuit to permit the necessary subtraction should a dial now be operated to purchase another stamp, and the circuit of the change solenoids SOL2..SOL9, Fig. 9, adjusted to the change now available. At this stage, change may be obtained by actuating the press button to close the switch SW103, Fig. 9, or further stamps may be dialled. If more than one stamp is dialled at one time, each of the current impulses produced by the dial switch carries out all the above operations, and the switches K29, K30, K31 are arranged to render the corresponding dials ineffective as the available credit in the machine is reduced below the value of the stamps for which they are responsible. When only 1 cent credit is available, the actuation of the relay K31 results in the de-energization of the relay K33, the preparation of one of the 1 cent change solenoids for operation and energization of the relay K34 to operate the change-control relay K34. Included in the control circuit are five lamps which are arranged to flash in order to provide information about the operation of the machine. The lamp 50, Fig. 8, indicates when, after insertion of a coin, stamps may be dialled, the lamp 49, controlled by coindetecting switches SW108..SW114 in the change tubes, indicates that change has run out, and the lamps 51, 52, 53, controlled by detecting switches SW115, SW116, SW117, Fig. 9, in the three stamp dispensers, indicate that the supply of stamps in these dispensers is exhausted. Should all the stamps be exhausted, the circuit is set to return the inserted coin or the change to which the purchaser is entitled. Should the purchaser race a dial manually back to initial position instead of allowing it to return of itself, the several momentary closures of the dial switch may not produce as many energizations of the relay K33. In this case, the fact that credit is substracted only in relation to the stamps actually dispensed by means of the relay K33 results in credit remaining in the machine and available for subsequent dialling. Moreover, the timing circuit K19, K20, K21 with the necessary condensers ensures